How to Create a Flaming Photo Manipulation
Tutorial Details
- Program: Photoshop
- Difficulty: Advanced
- CompletionTime: 1-2 hours
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Final Product What You'll Be Creating
In this tutorial, we’ll manipulate a picture so it looks like a woman burning in flames. The idea behind this manipulation was to create a nice looking illustration, only by using simple techniques and tools such as the Brush tool and Warp command. I hope you enjoy the tutorial and try it with your own stock imagery.
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Step 1
For this project, I used two nice images that suits for the manipulation; image1, image2. I would like to thank the author of this two great pictures, which is thiquinho and huibidos from sxc.hu. And before we continue with the steps, I need to inform you that this tutorial is written using Photoshop CS3.
Step 2
Let’s start with image1, open and duplicate this image by using the Image > Duplicate command from the menu bar. In the Duplicate Image dialog box, you can name it anything you like, but to follow this tutorial reference, name it "PassionFire" and hit OK. By doing this, we kept the original image. Be sure to save.
Step 3
With the "PassionFire" image active, duplicate the "background" layer. Set the foreground and background color to black and white by pressing D on the keyboard. Click the "background" layer again and fill it with the foreground color ~ which is set to black. See the images below.
Step 4
Reactivate "Layer 1," then press Command + Shift + U to apply desaturate command. Now invert the color by pressing Command + I. Your image should look like a film’s negative now.
Step 5
Duplicate "Layer 1," then apply the find edges filter from Filter > Stylized > Find Edges. Next, invert the color by pressing Command + I and change the Blending Mode to Hard light. There, your image now has contrast white line and a very dark background.
Step 6
To give the white line more contrast, duplicate the "Layer 1" copy then change the Blending Mode to Screen.
Step 7
Now we move to the second image. Drag image2 into "PassionFire" document image window using the Move tool. If the Paste profile mismatch dialog appears, just click OK to fix it.
Step 8
The fire image from "image2" should be in "Layer 2" now. Change its Blending Mode to screen, this will hide all the black colors in "Layer 2." If done right, your image should be similar to the one below.
Step 9
Duplicate "Layer 2" by pressing Command + J. Make sure you use the Screen Blending mode, same as the original "Layer 2." Next, make "Layer 2" become invisible by hiding it from the layers panel.
Step 10
Click the "Layer 2 copy" to make it active, then use the Free Transform command ( Edit > Free Transform) to rotate and resize the fire image like shown below. Don’t forget to press Enter when you’re done transforming.
Step 11
Still in the same layer, now use the warp command (Edit > Transform > Warp) to bend the fire image – so it following the hair flow. Press Enter when done. See the example below as a reference.
Step 12
If you feel the result is not quite good enough, simply use the Liquify filter to fix it. I assume you already know how to use the liquify filter; the Forward Warp tool and Twirl Clockwise tool is the only tool I used to get this result (see image below).
Step 13
Duplicate the "Layer 2" copy, then use the Free Transform command to resize and rotate the fire image in the current layer. Don’t forget to reposition the fire image too. Once you get this composition (see image below), hit Enter.
Step 14
Repeat the previous process to get the hair covered with fire. Just duplicate and modify the layer until you get all the hair part covered. If needed, use the Liquify Filter again. The end result of this process should look like the image below, notice how many layers are used.
Step 15
Okay, now activate "Layer 2" and make it visible again. Then Change the Blending Mode to Vivid Light. This step will colorize only the white line in the layer below it.
Step 16
Still in "Layer 2," apply the Free Transform command to resize and rotate the fire image like shown below. The purpose is to cover up the girl’s body and hair with the fire texture. Press Enter when you’re done transforming.
Step 17
We’re gonna blur the fire image in "Layer 2," To do so, apply the Gaussian Blur filter from the Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur menu. Fill the Radius around 10 to 15 pixels, then click OK when done. Blurring the fire image will cause its texture to blend smoother with the layer below it.
Step 18
Now add a layer mask to "Layer 2." Then use a soft round Brush tool with Opacity at 100%. Set the brush size according to your need, then just mask until the fire outside becoming hidden. See the process below.
Step 19
Sure we will remove the white line shown in the image (marked in red rectangle below). First, add a new blank layer below "Layer 2." Then simply paint it with black using the soft round brush tool.
Step 20
Now go to the top most layer (mine is: "Layer 2 copy 6"), add two adjustment layers which is Hue/Saturation and Brightness/Contrast. Careful not to change the layer adjustment order, or the color effect will be wrong. Below you can see the setting I used to complete this step, also pay attention to the adjustment layer order.
By adding a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer, we unify all colors. The Brightness/Contrast adjustment layer brings more color contrast and makes sure the image color’s looks like real fire.
Step 21
I’m sure you notice the fire sparks effect. I create it using the Brush tool with this simple setting. No special brush needed, but if you have one that will be useful then feel free to use it. Below you can see all the settings I used within the Brush palette, of course you can change the setting as you like. Just make sure the brush spatter enough and vary the size.
Step 22
Now to use the modified brush, create a new blank layer below the adjustment layers ( mine is named "Layer 4"). Choose 50% gray from the swatches palette, then you can start creating the fire sparks. Remember not to be monotone, resize the brush size if needed. I start using a big sized brush, then reduce it to smaller size (you can change brush size faster by pressing the bracket keys on the keyboard ).
If you’re not sure how to do this steps, just imagine where and how the fire sparks will flow if it was real fire. For me, imagining stuff is very helpful.
Step 23
To make it more interesting, create a new layer and change the Blending Mode to Screen. Then use a normal soft round brush (not the one we modified earlier), with an Opacity of 50%. Just click in the part of body, neck, and hair. I’m not sure how to explain this, but you can see the difference between the above and below images.
Conclusion
And that’s all of it! Hope you learned something new and had fun. You can view the final image below or view a larger version here.
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By Jayan Saputra
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hey.. help me.. i dont know were to get the flame..
plss.. someone help me..
just sign up for the website its free and in the begining of the tutorial it shows the link to it
ellusionist.
Hi,
please, download the brush effect. than, you can do the flame.
ok dear….
could some1 tell me why the sparks i make are gray
im using CS4
to make them orange you must put the layer with the sparks under the two adjustment layers.. XD
just click the link there and then right click on the flame image and copy.. then just paste in your photoshop work..
Hey how do you make the gray emblems turn to the orange?? he didn’t explain that part
thanks
Its simple, on the gray spark layer go to blending options and go to outer glow. Set it on red and put it on hard light[on top], now go to inner glow, change the color to a feiry orange and set it once again to hard light.
thanks that makes sense but i do’t see to be getting the same results :/ could it be because of the exact colors?
To do the lava splatter thingy,, go to layer 3 where you removed the unwanted white parts of image1. Use the costumized brush and then select gray color, then presto.
dude at the top he gives the links for the flame. just read
Freakin’ sweet
Nice teach… goog luck bro…
Holllyyyyyyy Shit :X I loVe It
aMAZING!!!
oh GOSH… This is soooooooo GREAT…
awesome
human torch!!!!!
ANG GALING! Nice one bro…Im a newbie but I was able to follow the tutorial, had even added some accents using the techniques you discussed..
astig!!!cool but that is hot!!!great tutorial!!!
Awesome! Hard-rock style!
Thanks for explaining everything in such an easy way! =)
it’s a nice tuto ^^
its perfect thank bro…
i agree its dam good
Incredible
It’s killer,and amazing artwork.
By Jayan? Are u Indonesian? I thing I know who are u, I like read book about edting photo manipulation with photoshop, that book is created by Jayan…That’s you??? Wooow…you are the best editing…I your digital imaging
ok great tutorial but step 22 does not work,
i mean i get the right brush etc… but the problem is that you tell us to use 50% gray,
when i do that the fire sparks are gray not like the ones in your picture! someone please help
as i am soooo close to finishing this tutorial!
yea cmon guys please help i get the same problem with the grey sptos
mee too.. same problem with that 50% gray brush, i follow tutorial but its come a gray spark, not a flame spark… please.. help
i think u need to set the blending mode of the layer to screen.
and u need to get the sparks anywhere above the fire layer.
having problem with that 50% gray brush..can’t create a sparks.:-(
helps pls…
I love your website, and love fire effects.. thanks for sharing
Nice post to do stuffs work. Thanks for the post.
Hi
I tried out this tutorial using different images of a person and flame, copied each step exactly, but for some reason the quality of the end result was incredibly lousy. Could the size of the image have something to do with this?
The images that I used were originally very small on an A4 document, and because of this I cropped the page to fit them.
since tried it on alot of pictures may i ask something? the (edit > transform > wrap) i cant find i i am using
cs3 i cant find it at all does it have a shortcut??? if yes can you tell me??
please help i love this and i want to do it
thank you
Vivid Light DOES NOT colorise white lines. Linerar Light DO!
OMG do not post fake shit
Nice ………….thanks for the sharing this one !
Great tut!
I had no problems with it, just modified some things
Thanks!
thank you. realllllly. thank you vor allllll this info. ur the absolute best!
hey could some1 help me
wen i change it to 50% gray all the sparks are white
Yoh! Hi guys, had the same problem with the fire sparks but I finally figured it out… On the Adjustment Layer you added for the Hue/Saturation, you just need to check the “Colorize” and thats it! Hope this helps.
Perfect ! Got it atlast !!
Nice tut
Very cool, simple tut. I don’t know about 1-2 hours, this took me maybe 15 minutes.
it’s cool…thx
well,. it cant be that easy right? :p
That’s really nice, thank you very much!
The tutorial is really simple and easy to execute anything which is listed here step by step!
I have some problems with the find edges, it doesnt do what it supposed to do i get a weird look of it and it ruins the whole thing when i insert the fire, anybody want to see the picture then ill send it to your email, someone Help Me!
what i mean by this is that instead om making the picture white with really thin grey lines at the edges it makes all of the edges black :/, Help me!
i cant undrstand by just looking at it
make a video dude
am i right?
Great Work i complete until Step 20 and i couldn’t complete the other because iam using PS CS4
So thx any way ^_^
Great Stuff!!!!
Good Work
Love it…
really, really love it..
So far this my favorite technique in photoshop… I’m just a bit of a beginner, so my works are not that
nice…
But every time I see my work, I feel a sense of an achievement =D =D
nice timing when i saw this tutorial cause our lesson for computer this second year high school XD
thx very much
beaitifull love it
Hi, uhh maybe it’s good to know that the image llinks are broken..
sorry brother i cannot understand step 13 and 14>
Great post! Thank You for sharing
absolutely great job!!
beaitifull love it
Thx for the tutorial, is very pretty! Good idea and very outstanding effect!
But… i have a problem:
1- when i set the luminosity/contrast like you did, the contrast is too much and the image became all yellow/red and i have to lower the contrast
2- When i paint the sparks on the layer under the adjustment layer….the sparks stay gray, they don’t take the right color
It is like the colour doesn’t affect the level
2 same happen with the next step (the screen layer and the 50% round brush)
Ps: i have Adobe Photoshop cs2